noun
squirrel
SKWIH-rl
noun
1
A small rodent, often with a bushy tail, that typically lives in trees and eats nuts and seeds.
"A grey squirrel darted up the oak tree."
"Squirrels bury nuts to eat later in the winter."
verb
1
To store something away secretly for future use.
"She squirreled away a bit of cash every month."
How to Use Squirrel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe bushy-tailed tree-climbing rodent — or, as a verb, to stash something away for later.
Common pairings
squirrel away
squirrel nuts
Word Forms
squirreled past tense, squirrelled past tense, squirrels plural, squirrels singular
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A grey _____ darted up the oak tree.
Etymology
From Old French escurel, ultimately from Ancient Greek skiouros, meaning "shadow-tail" — a nod to the animal's bushy tail.